New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-24
THE NEED OF COMPULSORY EDUCATION.

| PROFESSOR ADLER DISCUSSES THIS QUESTION IN
CONNECTION WITH CHILD LABOR.
Professor Felix Adler gave the last OF his lectures on
Child Labor" before tho Society for Ethical Culture
yesterday morning in Chickerng Hall Both floor and
galleries were crowded many people having 10 stand In
the aisles and along hewa Professor Adler spoke
particularly the need Of strcter enforcement OF the
Compulsory Education law and OF amending the factory
employment laws.
The Compulsory Education law. he said In beginning
dead letter in many Of the towns and villages
of the State. Its nonenforcment was an offence weak
enng the respect for law operating loosen rather than
strengthen the bonds which hold society to-
gether. Eome OF this laXity might he
due TO opinion, often loudly expressed.
that compulsory education was unjustihable and alto
gether wrong Philosophers like Herbert Spencer con-
tended that a child had no right to education, gno-
rance being q passive state and not preventing the
exercise of any natural faculty 1t the right OF the
parent alone TO educate the child, the duty OF natural
guardian But though ignorance did not prevent the
use OF any natural faculty. IL certainly prevented tho
full exercise Of them all And II single cause OF re-
preston should be removed foror this general cause
should be, Ignorance source OF crime and com
pulsory education could be recommended merely az
matter OF police. Though mental instruction, OF itself
did prevent crime, yet there were moral Influences
IN every school that did Every school little
monweath where order and obedience and respect for
law were taught by word and example, and the discipline
The child did belong 10 the parent the opponents
OF compulsory education held The parent only the
natural guardian. The state the supreme guardian
and would justly II the natural guardian forgot
his duty parents abused starved the child the
state protected it, So should II the parents could not
would give II elementary education. state educa
ton again form OF charity, paupcrlLatiOn OF
.6 MASSES schools hospitals and asyluin were main
tanned by taxation Of the people And IN all taxes now
ever surface of things conceal H. the poor always
bore the Heavier part What they escaped on direct
take. they made upon indirect
The state too. bound 10 provide for It's own por
petuaton And the state not entity, but an Idea
in the minds OF the people which must be reborn from
year year. The public school certainly was fun OF
traditions OF American history, the source, and only
source OF what the OF the people know nowadays
about American ideas and government. The public
school was the cornerstone which the State TO per
petuae itself IL s must rest and the only sure means
OF asslmating the growing foreign element
in the United States. Professor Adler then dis
Gus the OF truans and recommended the
establishment OF truan homes for first offenders or boys
who could not he managed in school. Only the most
hardened shond he sent now 10 the reformatoric the
Juvenile Asylum and the Catholic PrOeclory.
The law should he amended 80 to add penalty for
lying about boys for not providing fencing
about machinery where boys and women work for over
crowding in factories for working boys girls
under twenty years more than ten hours day
sixty hours week There should be dozen inspectors
for the state instead OF two, and finally all boys under
years should be made TO 10 school the year
round.